


For Love of Land & Sea

by Mochas N Mayhem (KoohiiCafe)



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Elements of Philippine Mythology, F/M, Fairy Tale Style, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Obey Me Secret Santa 2020, Tragedy, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28210659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoohiiCafe/pseuds/Mochas%20N%20Mayhem
Summary: She was human Leviathan knew, somehow, despite the beautiful tail that took the place of where a human’s legs should be; he’d watched her try to swim more than once, watched as her heart broke over and over when her need for air forced her to surface, keeping her from the waters that she so loved. Keeping her from his waters, where he and his kin had watched from for so long.For too long. He had watched her pain for too long. No longer would he merely watch, not when he could domore.
Relationships: Levi | Leviathan/Original Character(s), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	1. Of Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sansinukob](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansinukob/gifts).



> This is my piece for the [Obey Me Secret Santa 2020](https://omsecretsanta.carrd.co/), and is a gift for [sansinukob](https://lamentingintheuniverse.tumblr.com/). They had a few requests, including water themes, pre-colonial Filipino themes, fantasy, and angst, and I did my best to fulfill as much of their requests as I could! This is a step away from my usual style, but it was really interesting to write, and I learned a lot while reading up on the subjects involved! I hope you enjoy, sansinukob!

For far from the first time, Leviathan watched silently as the human carried her down to the water’s edge. The man- her father, he knew after watching for so long- was careful as he carried her to the small shelter he had built for her years ago, settling her down into the carved seat that was perfectly molded to allow her beautiful, shimmering orange-scaled tail to stretch out fully. The love the human felt for his daughter was evident in his every tender touch, in the warm set of his smile as he brushed a hand over her dark locks, in the light, affectionate kiss he laid atop her head before he stepped away and headed towards his boat.

Leviathan watched her as she watched the human push off from the sandy shore, carefully rowing out into the crystal clear waters. They both watched as the small boat floated out and away, heading for the man’s usual fishing spots, slowly disappearing from sight. And then he watched _her_. She was…

She was _human_ he knew, _somehow_ , despite the beautiful tail that took the place of where a human’s legs should be; he’d watched her try to swim more than once, watched as her heart broke over and over when her need for air forced her to surface, keeping her from the waters that she so loved. Keeping her from _his_ waters, where he and his kin had watched from for so long.

For too long. He had watched her pain for too long. He had watched _her_ for too long, strangely yearning for her just as much as she had longed for the sea. Strange, how any of the mer of his kingdom would have happily pleased him, happily joined with him, _wished_ to join with him, yet it was none of them that he wished for. It was only _her_ , the one who wasn’t even his kind, the one so far outside of his reach, that he could and _should_ never have, that he longed for.

Silently, he turned his attention inwards, focusing his magicks and pushing them through his own body. The sensation of the horns that crowned his head fading, of scales melting away, of flesh parting to form two where there had once been one, was not unfamiliar to him; with another push of his power, he manifested a loincloth style wrap similar to the kind the men of the human village so favored. It was the gift of his lineage, _his_ gift and his gift alone, to be able to so easily change form, to take the shape of the humans that walked upon land and preyed upon the waters around them. He used his gift now for a purpose for which it had never been intended, and he pushed himself upwards and towards the surface.

He breached the water within her view; he watched with hungry eyes as she startled visibly, her tail instinctively thumping against the wooden bench beneath her, a hand flying up to her chest. Her eyes were wide, shock shining in dark pupils as she watched him rise from the ocean, moving closer and closer to her. His own heart pounded in his chest wildly with every step, his pulse loud in his ears.

It wasn’t that he had never engaged with a human before; he had slipped into villages before, pretending to be one of them as he walked in their midsts. He’d talked to humans before, traded with them, stolen from them. Punished them, when it was needed. Always acting as if he _were_ human, never giving away his true nature or purpose. _This_ time, though… This time was different.

“Y- you-” Her voice was faint as she stared up at him. There was no hiding his nature this time, not when he had risen so clearly from the waters, coming so obviously from beneath and within their depths. Her hands came down, going to the bench beneath her, as if preparing to flee- somehow. How, neither of them knew, not when she had only her tail and she was beached as she was; not when even if she had been in the water itself, she lacked the ability to breathe beneath it as she would need to in order to escape him. The sight sent his heart pounding harder, her fear hitting him as if it were his own.

“It’s alright,” he said hurriedly, and as he reached her, Leviathan went to his knee outside reach of both arms and tail. “I’m- I’m not here to hurt you!” He watched as her tail shifted in clear agitation, the scaled length rippling upwards and then hitting the bench once more with a sharp _thwump_. He backed up a little more. He didn’t fear her- but it was clear she did _him_ , and that wasn’t what he wanted at all.

“W- what? What are you?” she finally managed to ask, her fingers dug into the side of the bench. Her grip seemed to relax when he pulled back a little further, but there was still fear in her eyes. Even if that fear was mixed with something he thought might be interest, a thought which made something surge through his chest. He swallowed thickly, gathering his courage, as he had been doing for so long to save up for this moment.

“My name is Leviathan,” he said in answer, and his voice only slightly waivered. He’d watched her for so long. Wanted to know her for _so long_. This was his chance, the moment of their truth. For the first time in as long as he could remember- in _centuries_ \- he gave the truth of his nature to a human. “I’m one of the merfolk.”

* * *

She’d known at first sight that he was no man, and not only because of how he’d risen from the ocean as if the waters themselves had given birth to him. She may have been sheltered all her life, may have never seen another human outside of her father, but no human had hair the color of dark indigo, or eyes that brought to mind the shining dark amber tones of a setting sun. His skin was too light, pale and almost luminescent against the deep blue of the ocean from which he came; the dark tattoos that lined his bare legs, patterned after snake scales, were too realistic, too perfect a match to the indigo hues of his hair, too natural seeming to be man-made. _He_ was too perfect, too strangely ethereal, and his eyes… _His eyes_.

She’d _seen_ those eyes before, staring up at her from the depths of the sea. More than once she’d seen them, but always just _barely_ , from the very corners of her vision, and when she turned to look, they were always gone. Nothing more than a figment of her imagination, she’d thought for so long. A dream that had crept into her waking hours, a hope that there was someone else out there like her, someone out there in the waters she so desperately longed to be a part of. They couldn’t possibly have been real though, she’d convinced herself, not as fleeting as the sight of them always was, not when her father had never seen them in all his years on the water.

They were real. _He_ was real. He was Leviathan. He wasn’t like her, though, wasn’t human- he was _better_. He was a creature of the sea, a _prince_ of the ocean, one of the long whispered of merfolk who lived beneath the waters around the island. No myth or legend, but a living and breathing man who had chosen to reveal himself to her, who had come to her at what was always the loneliest time of her day.

He was real, and he had given her a gift that was _just_ as real. The most precious gift she had ever received or ever _would_ receive, because his gift to her…

Her fingers reached up as she hummed to herself, brushing the newly sensitive skin of her neck, hidden behind the thick dark locks of her hair; the gills he had drawn into her skin were soft to the touch, seemingly mere lines of indigo ink, dormant in the open air of land. The memory of how they’d come to life beneath the surface of the sea was one she knew she would cherish for the rest of her life, along with the way _she’d_ finally felt alive in that moment. Complete, as if she’d finally found a piece of herself that had been missing, as if she’d been made _whole_.

And the way _Leviathan_ had looked in the water?

She’d thought him gorgeous at first sight when he came out of the water, but beneath it, in his true form, he was so much _more_. She’d watched in awe as the tattooed scales on his legs had faded slowly into reality, as his legs themselves had lengthened and melted fluidly together to form a dark, deep indigo tail that was almost thrice as long as her entire body, thick and strong and curving gracefully through the water. Scales that matched those of his tail decorated the pale skin above his waist, placed seemingly artistically up one side and trailing all the way to his neck one by one. His eyes, stunning in the light of land, were somehow even more so within the water, glittering, glowing, luminous with a light all their own. Nestled in his hair were what looked like branching coral, a mirrored pair on either side of his head; they’d been dark in the moment she’d seen them before he pulled her beneath the water’s surface with him, but _below_? The coral shone brightly, a spectrum of colors from deep violet to the brightest of blues shimmering over their surface.

Then, this beautiful, exquisite, impossibly ethereal man had taken her hand, and he’d led her into the ocean dark.

Their first swim together had been short. She was weaker than he was, the muscles of her tail unused to the kind of work that it took to propel her through the water for as long as she wanted now that she could finally _breathe_ beneath it; she’d grown so quickly tired compared to Leviathan, had been unable to push on even as much as she’d wanted to, and he’d had to pull her into his arms to guide her back to the surface, back to land where she could rest.

Above water once more, as he’d carried her back to her shelter and helped her settle back onto her seat safely there, she’d gotten to see how beautifully his pale skin flushed once he realized how closely he’d held her. She’d gotten to giggle as the seeming sea god who’d so confidently led her into the water blustered as he pushed himself away from her quickly, putting enough space between them that even her tail couldn’t reach him. He’d stammered, flushed further, and then with a flustered promise that he’d return the next day, he’d disappeared into the ocean as quickly as he had first appeared.

* * *

Come back the next day he had, and the day after that, and the day after that, and every day thereafter. It was so like a fantastic dream that she was almost afraid that it was exactly that- but if it was, she wanted never to wake, because the new world that Leviathan showed her every single day was… Beautiful. It was all so very _beautiful_.

Their forays into the water were short at first, lasting only as long as it took her to grow exhausted- and grow exhausted she did, far too soon for her wishes. She had a lifetime’s worth of languishing to make up for, the muscles of her tail having seen only the most minimal of usage for short, surface swims in all her years. As the days turned to weeks, their trips grew longer and longer, and as weeks became months, they swam deeper and deeper.

Every day she spent with him, every day she swam with him, she felt more complete than she had ever felt in her life. Every time they parted at the end of their time together, she returning to wait for her father, he returning to his home so far beneath the sea, her heart ached strangely, in a way that it never had before. Then every turn of the sun, he came again, and the ache eased.

Surely, she thought as months turned to years, and she basked daily in Leviathan’s company, this was paradise.


	2. Of Freedom

She had known for some time that Leviathan had prepared something for her birthday; he was never good at keeping secrets from her, especially when it was something he was excited about, and he had been accidentally dropping hints for _weeks_. He had also stopped by a little less often, sometimes leaving three or four days between his visits; she’d gone to the mervillage the first time he’d been missing, and had been told that he was busy with an important project, not to worry, she’d see him again soon. Sometimes, on the day after his absence, he seemed more tired than usual as well, even if excited at the same time; their swims on those days were shorter, reminding her of the first months after he’d given her the gift of her gills, when she’d been too weak still to swim very far. Whatever it was he was doing when he was gone, it was tiring him out- a thought that just made her more curious about the entire thing.

She kept quiet about it though, smiling to herself and letting him have the illusion of surprise. Time passed easily, despite missing him on those days when he was gone, and before she knew it, it was the day of her birthday.

The morning went by strangely uneventfully. Her father had wished her a happy birthday of course, but had then had to head out onto the water; that eve, he’d promised, they would celebrate her birthday properly. So he’d taken her down to her shelter by the sea-side, gotten her settled comfortably, and then headed out. Then she’d waited, enjoying the balmy morning weather as she awaited the company of her prince.

He didn’t make her wait long; barely had her father’s boat moved out of sight than did Leviathan rise from the waters, looking every bit the majestic god of the sea that he always did. No differently from any other morning he appeared, her heart thumped in her chest, a feeling like butterflies fluttering within her belly, and her smile was immediate, all for him. He grinned back, excitement and cheer shining in his bright eyes, and almost ran to her.

“Happy birthday!” he cried, and then she found herself squealing as he swept her into his arms, turning immediately to head back to the water. He carried her like she weighed nothing, his strength so far beyond any she could ever hope to achieve herself, and his grip was sure; years ago, when he’d first had to carry her to the water every day so they could swim, he’d been so unsure. Stuttering, flustering, flushing and almost afraid to hold her so close, he’d been a daily mess in his uncertainty- but that had been _years_ ago. Now, wrapping her arms around his neck as he took them to the water was second nature, something neither of them thought on for more than a moment, if at all.

“I have something to show you, come on!” he told her as he stepped into the water and moved far enough out that he could release her into it. The fluid shifting from his adopted human form to his natural self was no less stunning now than it had been the first time; as she did every time she saw him like this, she took the briefest moment to take in how absolutely stunning he _still_ was, even as he grabbed her hand and dragged her excitedly deeper.

And beyond that- there was no time for talk. The pace Leviathan set was breakneck, even with as accomplished a swimmer as she was now, and she felt almost breathless as they raced through the waters. He led her around the shore of the island, rather than down into the depths of the sea, her hand clutched tightly in his the entire way. They reached a small cove soon enough, one that was almost hidden by a tall cliff and the forest around it, and he led her within, following the water as it grew shallow and flowed into a dark, shadowed cave. Then, as the water turned around a bend of the cavern, the mouth of the cave disappearing behind them, he led her to the edge of the water, where something shone brightly on a pedestal, lighting the entire space.

It was the largest clam she’d ever seen, larger than _any_ of the giant clams in the waters around the island, at least thrice over. The light shone from within its barely open maw, twinkling and constantly in motion, dancing as it reflected over the water and against the cavern walls. Leviathan tugged her to right before the shell, tugged her up to sit on the damp sand beside it; so entranced by the glimmering light in the shell was she, she didn’t notice as he shifted to his human looking form once more. He tugged her close to him, almost into his lap, between him and the shell, and then he spoke.

“I know I’ve been away a lot,” he said, and the way he reached around her, all but holding her in his arms as he reached to lay a hand on the edge of the clam, sent something magical tingling over her skin- yet she knew instinctively that it _wasn’t_ magic, because she’d felt his magic before, this was… this was something _different_. He continued before she could linger on the thought or feeling. “I’m- I’m sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you, but- this is why. I’ve been preparing this for you, as a birthday present!”

“What is it,” she asked, her voice soft with wonder, and she reached after him. Her fingers brushed the edge of the shell opposite his hand, and the feeling that ran tickling over her skin this time _was_ magic- _his_ magic. She pulled her hand back quickly, breath catching in her throat, something thrilling coursing through her at the sensation.

“You know I can change form,” Leviathan said, and he shifted slightly, enough for her to realize exactly where she was, that his _legs_ were beneath her, his inked skin smooth against the scales of her tail. Heat rushed to her cheeks, but she didn’t have time to think about _that_ either, because he kept talking, stammering slightly. “It’s one of the gifts of my lineage, to be- to be able to take on human shape. And I- I thought. I thought that that isn’t fair, because I can walk if I need to, go on land, if need be; I’m not just limited to the water, I’m not _helpless_ outside of it.”

He swallowed thickly, and his hand stroked the edge of the clam gently. _Tenderly_ , almost. His voice gentled as well, as the shell began to slowly open to his touch, the vibrant colors within glowing against the shining light spilling from within it.

“You’re human, though, and that’s- that’s something you’ve _never had_. You were born on land, but shaped for water, and you were helpless to both. I helped you with one of those, but I kept thinking how it wasn’t _fair_ that you were still helpless on land, when I wasn’t…”

His voice trailed off, and the excitement of before had faded, something like tension replacing it instead. His legs beneath her were stiff, although the hand he stroked along the shell was still careful. It had opened almost fully now, and the source of the light within… There _was_ no source, only glittering and glimmering _light_ itself, floating just above the bright blues and greens of the clam’s interior. His free hand shifted, and then he was taking her hand in his, and stretching out both their hands towards the light

Her world dissolved into light, into the spark and fire of magicks washing over her form, the cool feeling of his touch never leaving her all the while, and then she was… Then she was…

* * *

For the second time in her life, her entire world _changed_. Her Leviathan, her sea prince and god, had gifted her _legs_. For the first time in her life, she could _walk_. For the first time in her life, she was no longer _helpless_ against the land that should have been her right to walk, had she not been born as she had. All because of Leviathan. All because he _cared_ about her, enough to share a gift that was his and his alone.

It wasn’t permanent, he warned her; once a day, if she desired, the magicks he had channeled into the shell could grant her legs for a limited number of hours. The world on land was _dangerous_ , he also warned her; even with legs, the humans of the island were a threat she could not forget, that she should avoid at all costs. She was free to use her gift as she pleased, he told her; he _asked_ that she wait for him, so that they could go together, so that he could protect her if need be.

She agreed without a thought, with all her heart. The smile he gave her when she did was one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen.

Walking, she found, didn’t come as naturally as she would have liked; Leviathan guided her through her first steps, held her hand as he held her up and gave her the support she needed. Soon enough, though, she had her feet, and then- then she had a _whole new world_ to explore. And with Leviathan at her side, she _explored_.


	3. Of Land

She knew from first sight that she had never seen a man such as him; she doubted she ever would again after. He was _different_ , so different, from the merfolk of Leviathan’s kin, but also different from both her and her father. His skin was darker, like her father’s, like her own, his coloring warm like sand after the tides had pulled back- but the tattoos that etched across his chest were a bright, stark white, rather than dark like those that decorated her father’s skin. His hair, unlike her own or her father’s, was as white as the bright lines on his skin, falling full and long from the golden headwrap that held it away from his face. And his eyes… 

From across the clearing, his eyes _called_ to her, caught and held her captive. They were a blue as dark as the sky as the sun set, yet with an echo of clear gold that seemed only brightened by the heavy golden jewelry that hung from his ears and neck, and adorned his wrists and bared legs. And those eyes _found_ her, widening as he took her in; her own eyes widened in return, fear gripping her heart, and she darted behind the tree she’d peeked around to see him, blood pounding in her ears.

What was she _doing_? Her father- _Leviathan_ \- had warned her so many times. Humans were harsh and unforgiving. They were cruel and thoughtless, they cared nothing for anything other than themselves and their own desires. They had taken her mother from them when she was but a babe, had torn Leviathan’s kin from him countless times over the years. And now… now she had taken Leviathan’s gift to her, used it without him, wandered too close to their village, and-

“I _knew_ I wasn’t imaginin’ it!”

She shrieked, the voice _right_ in her ear; she pushed away from the tree immediately, ready to flee as fast as she could. She _had_ to get away, she couldn’t let a human catch her like this, not when she’d lost track of time, when she wasn’t sure how long she had before the shell’s magic wore away. Before she could take more than a single step, there was a strong hand wrapped around her wrist, a cheeky grin aimed at her from a smug expression as the man used his grip to tug her towards him.

“I knew I heard someone followin’ after me,” he continued, his grin and words amused as he ran a confident gaze over her. “Even though I thought- there’s no way someone’d be way out here in the middle’a nowhere, so far away from the village. But here you are, huh?”

“ _Please_ ,” she pleaded immediately, pulling as hard at the hand he held as she could, her eyes filled with fear, “ _please don’t hurt me_!”

 _Instantly_ the grip on her wrist was gone, confusion and shock written in those gold-tinged blue eyes she had admired so much. It was sudden enough that she felt herself start to fall backwards, pulled back by the momentum of her own harsh tug; the same hand that had held her wrist only a moment ago saved her just as suddenly as it had let go, the man’s arm looping behind her to catch and keep her from falling. His grip was loose this time, tight only enough to catch her but not hold her, a large hand splaying across her back supportingly.

“Who said anything about hurtin’ ya?”

She froze. His hand on her back was _warm_ in a way that Leviathan’s touch wasn’t, but different than her father’s was. It was unfamiliar, unsure even as he supported her; the warmth of his skin through the thin material of her clothing was a stark contrast to the frisson of fear shivering through her in that moment. She should pull away. She should run. Scream again, push at him, escape. Yet she couldn’t move, couldn’t force herself to flee. She could barely whisper,

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Hey, shhhh, it’s alright.” His brows furrowed, and if she didn’t know better, she would have thought the look in his dark sky blue eyes to be almost _concern_. His hand slid down her back, making sure she was straightened, no longer in danger of falling, and then he pulled away, physically taking a step back from her. His voice turned soothing, reminding her of the way one might talk to a frightened animal. “I’m sorry if I scared ya, but I promise, I ain’t gonna hurt ya. I was just a bit curious about whoever was followin’ me. Are you okay?”

She swallowed thickly, struggling to still her pounding heart. He couldn’t really mean that, could he? She couldn’t _trust_ that he did, could she? Humans were _dangerous_ , especially to _her_. There was a reason her father had been so careful to raise her so far away from the village. Why she never went with him when he went to the village to trade, why he never let anyone return with him to their home. There was a reason Leviathan and the merfolk were so careful to keep the humans from ever seeing them, why it had taken so long for him to approach her and offer her his gift all those years ago. And yet…

“I’m- I’m fine,” she answered quietly. His eyes softened, and when he gave her a small smile, her heart pounded for a different reason. Not fear this time… but she didn’t know what to call it.

“Good,” he said, “I’m glad.” He paused, and then his smile grew again, the corners of his eyes crinkling a bit, and he continued, “I mean, I know that meetin’ _the_ Great Mammon is a big deal an’ all, but I don’t want people to think I’m tryin’ ta _scare_ a pretty girl like you, yeah?”

He- what?

She blinked. This time it was her turn to furrow her brow, staring at him. He-

A tingle of magic shivered over her skin, and the thought broke off before it could get any further. _No_. That was her warning- the first sign that she was running out of time. All confusion fled her mind, and she stepped back quickly, abruptly, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, ignoring the confusion that swept over him all over again. Before he could get a word out, she turned and she _ran_ , pushing herself as fast as her borrowed legs could carry her, weaving through the trees in an effort to lose him. She needed to get home, and she needed to get there _now_ , and she could _not_ afford to lead the human back after her.

She could worry later about the way he called out, his cry of, “Hey wait! I didn’t even get your name!” trailing after her. She could worry later about the fact that, while she knew she shouldn’t, while she _knew_ that she should never want to see him again, she _hoped_ that she would. That maybe, another day, when it wasn’t late and the magic of her legs wasn’t about to fade, she hoped she might get the chance to give him her name as he had given her his. For now, though, she needed to get _home_.

* * *

The next time she saw him, _he_ was the one who found _her_. She was on one of her foraging trips into the forest; it was such a simple thing, being able to go out into the forest by herself, being able to contribute to the life she lived with her father, but it was something she treasured more than words could ever tell, the freedom Leviathan had given her. And she’d been careful this time, not to stray any deeper into the forest than she usually did, not to move towards where she knew the human village sat so far away through the trees.

Yet still, somehow, he found her.

She was knelt down before a raspberry bush, carefully seeking any of the berries that were ripe enough for picking. She was absolutely absorbed in her task, picking each berry and setting it gently into her basket, enough so that she missed the sound of movement behind her. The sound of _footsteps_. She couldn’t miss his voice though, not as loud and excited as it was.

“I found ya!”

She screamed, turning quickly enough that she overturned her basket with the motion, sending all her gathered fruits scattering. He flinched back from the sound, eyes going wide- and then cursed as he scrambled down almost as fast as she had turned, grabbing at the fruits as they rolled away.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean ta scare ya! Just- I’ll get ‘em for ya, you just stay right there!” he said, stumbling over his words, already throwing a few rescued fruits haphazardly into her basket once he’d set it upright again.

For her part, she found herself frozen, unable to actually defy his order- not because she wanted to, but because she _couldn’t_. Adrenaline from the fright was coursing through her entire body, every single muscle in her body tensed, her magically gifted legs included. All she could do was watch as the man tried to gather as many of the fleeing fruits as he could, as _quickly_ as he could, her eyes wide with shock. It took him barely a few moments, hastily chasing down the last of them and tossing it into her basket, and then she tensed further when he turned his attention back to _her_.

Those _eyes_.

They had haunted her dreams since the day she’d seen him; _he_ had haunted her dreams, taking hold of a part of her heart as quickly as Leviathan had the day she met him, and it frightened her. Who was he, this human man, who could capture her attention the way he had? Enough to make her follow him that day when she’d seen him, enough to bury his image deep into her thoughts after just one meeting. Enough that while she _knew_ she should take her basket and run, return home rather than risk the wrath of a human… she didn’t.

“You alright?”

He’d asked her that last time too, right after he’d saved her from falling. Right after he’d promised that he wouldn’t hurt her. But could she really trust the promise of a human?

“I’m fine,” she answered, her voice trembling. As he flashed her the biggest, brightest smile she had _ever_ seen in her life, she felt some of her fear abate, although she remained as tense as before. She accepted the basket when he offered it out to her, wary as she wrapped her fingers around the handle and pushed back from him, closer to the bush at her back. He didn’t follow, instead just laughed a little.

“Good,” he said, and then with a sigh, he flopped down onto the dirt where he was, sitting easily. “Yer not an easy person ta find, ya know that? I asked all around the village, but no one had a clue who you were!”

“I’ve never been to the village,” she answered. She should be wary still. She should be frightened at the thought that he’d asked the village about her- _they weren’t supposed to know about her, couldn’t be allowed to know about her_ \- but there was something about the easy air the man held around him, about the grin on his face that spoke of nothing malicious, the casual and friendly way he held himself as he sat… “I- I live elsewhere.”

“Where?” Confusion painted his expression at her answer, but he still didn’t move, remaining where he’d sat. Carefully, she shifted where she was, daring to sit as well, the bush to her back still, as he continued. “There ain’t nowhere else on the island to live- unless you live on one of the other islands?”

“Yes!” She seized upon the excuse, perhaps faster than likely seemed natural. He tilted his head, still watching her, but didn’t say anything as she added, “I’m visiting for a time; my father has business in the village.”

“Ahhh, gotcha.” He leaned back where he sat, supporting himself with his hands, and his grin widened. “So, ya got my name last time we met- and just in case ya missed it, I’m _the Great Mammon_ , now don’t you forget it!”

The enthusiasm in his voice was bright enough that she couldn’t help but giggle, the sound escaping before she could even try to bite it back. His grin widened, those gorgeous blue-gold eyes of his sparkling, and he asked, “So what’s yer name? Ya ran off too quick last time for me to get it.”

She considered his question, and her options. She shouldn’t, she knew. What if he went back to the village and mentioned her, what if someone from before her father had taken her and ran recognized her name? What if they _remembered_ her? Came _after_ her just because she had given a stranger her name? Biting her lip, she thought quickly and, remembering an old mer’s tale Leviathan had told her once, she told him,

“My name is Dyesebel.”

* * *

They stayed sitting there for far longer than she should have stayed, talking as the sun passed by overhead and the hours whiled away. He was loud and brash, so different from Leviathan, different from anyone she’d ever known- outside of her father, the only people she knew were the merfolk of Leviathan’s realm, and he was so _different_. He fascinated her, left her wanting to know more about him- and about where he came from, the people about which he talked, because _the stories he told_. He made humans sound less like the monsters that the merfolk described them as, less like the hateful creatures her father described who had burned down her childhood home, and her mother with it. But all too soon, she felt the warning tickle of magic spread over her borrowed legs, and she’d made her excuses.

He hadn’t let her run immediately this time, but had ensnared her with a warm grin instead, and elicited a promise from her to meet with him again. With an odd sort of guilt twisting and curling through her stomach, she’d agreed- not tomorrow, or the day after, or any specific day, but _some_ day. He’d given her a confident grin and a wink, sworn to look for her every day, and then left before she could even fully process his words.

Her free days, she promised herself as she hurriedly gathered her basket of fruits and headed home as quickly as she could. She’d come out on her free days, when Leviathan was too busy to visit, and she’d see Mammon then. She owed her prince too much, cared too much for him, to abandon him- but there was something about Mammon that immediately called to her, just as Leviathan had called to her all those years ago.


	4. Of Envy

Three times this week, Leviathan had gone to the surface to meet with her, to spend a day with her. Three times, he had found her shelter empty, her father already out for the day. Three times she had been nowhere in the water nearby. Three times he had returned home sullen, upset, _worried_. Where was she? Had something happened? Was she okay? Was she avoiding him? Her father would have told him if something had happened, wouldn’t he have? Human the man was, but he loved his daughter, and he had been nothing but kind and gracious to Leviathan over the years, grateful to the one who had finally made her complete. If something had happened, if something was wrong, if she wasn’t okay… the human surely would have found a way to let him know… right?

Right?

The fourth day, he was determined to find out. Leviathan set out early that morning, determined to make it to the surface and her home _before_ either she _or_ her father could leave. If he swam a bit faster than normal on his way up… Could he really be blamed, as worried as he was?

He reached the surface at the perfect time. As he shifted and took to the beach, manifesting both legs and clothing without even a thought, the door to their small home opened; her father stepped out, holding her in his arms as tenderly as he always did. Leviathan’s eyes pinned to her, ran over her, took in every single detail that he could. She looked- she looked like she always did. She was as stunning beautiful as she always was, her smile radiant as she laughed about something with her father, her eyes lit with her mirth; the iridescent sheen of her scales sparkled in the light, even dry as her tail was, her caudal fin waving lazily where it draped over her father’s arm. Leviathan felt his heart stop; _gods_ she was beautiful. His chest grew tight, reminding him that he needed to breathe even above water, and he hurriedly inhaled, and then had to consciously keep himself from running as he headed to meet them.

“Leviathan!” She saw him before he could greet them, and her smile grew wider than before, her voice full of fond cheer. “You’re early!” She turned immediately to look up at her father, and even before Leviathan had reached them, she was telling him, “Give me over!”

Her father laughed, amused, shaking his head and teasing, “Impatient as ever, I see.” But as soon as Leviathan _was_ in reach, the human was shifting to give her over to the merman’s grasp; Leviathan accepted her carefully, pulling her into his arms with practiced ease. She squirmed a little, getting comfortable, and then reached up to loop her arms around his neck.

“I’ve missed you,” she told him, and some of the ache that had taken up residence in his heart after three days without her eased, the tight feeling in his chest loosening. The feel of her in his arms felt right, as did the familiar weight of her against his chest; the tickle of her hair against his bare skin was comforting, and the way her fingers teased at the hair at the nape of his nape sent a flush of heat to his cheeks. He banished it as best he could, although his response was stuttering.

“W- well, you! You haven’t been here when I arrived!” Rather than fading as he wished his blush would, his cheeks flushed further at his own stammering. Thankfully, she didn’t comment; instead, her father arched an eyebrow at her as he asked,

“You haven’t spent the last few days with Leviathan?”

This time it was _her_ turn to flush, and despite himself, he couldn’t help but admire the way her cheeks look dusted with pink. Her skin was so much darker than any of his kin, sun-kissed as merfolk weren’t. They called her exotic when she came to their home, many of them fawning over her beauty; his cousin Asmodeus, especially, was absolutely enamored of her looks, loved to dress her up in the latest fashions, test the latest make-ups and such on her. And this beautiful woman he adored so, _his_ human, was in _his arms_.

“I was out- out gathering and foraging,” she said, stammering slightly herself, drawing him from his thoughts. Her father didn’t look convinced, but with a laugh and a shake of his head, he told them both,

“I will be back this evening.” He paused, and looked to Leviathan. “Take care of my daughter.” And then, reaching out to ruffle her hair, he headed down to his boat and out onto the water.

As Leviathan turned to return to the water, his human settled further into his arms, her head leaning to rest where it always did on his shoulder, her fingers still playing with his hair. He wanted to ask, wanted to know where she’d been; had she really been out foraging for three days in a row, and if so, why hadn’t she let him know that she was going to be busy? But there was a peace in this moment, in their position against one another, in their silence. So he waited. He carried her to the water, _into_ the water, and returned to his true form, holding her close all the while. Only when he was once more himself, when the magic had died around him, already deep enough with her that the sun above was fading from view, did he release her from his arms.

Even then, he took her hand in his immediately. And then they _swam_ , neither one releasing the other.

* * *

It was hours later, hours of enjoying one another’s company and the ocean around them, that they settled to talk. They found themselves in one of their favored grottos; one of his kin, long ago enough that he remembered not who, had once filled the place with prized treasures from their adventures around the ocean, and they remained still, long after the mer had left for fairer waters. His human had a shell native to another sea in her hand, marveling over it as they talked. Leviathan was watching her, a strange nervousness overtaking him as he tried to gather himself to broach the subject of her absence.

How did he ask? How _could_ he ask, without making himself seem… overeager? She’d given her father her explanation- shouldn’t that be answer enough? Yet it didn’t seem right. It rang hollow somehow. Like an excuse.

She rescued him from his quandary, speaking as she continued looking over the shell in her hands.

“I told father the truth,” she said, and she shifted slightly; her hair floated upwards with her movement, rising in a cloud around her, blocking her face from his view. There was something tenuous about her voice- something unsure. “I _was_ out foraging. But also-” She broke off, and he badly wanted to reach out, to guide her hair to one side so he could watch her, meet her eyes. His hand twitched, but he stilled it quickly, gliding his fingers along the scales of his tail instead. She continued a moment later. “I met a human.”

“ _You what_?!” Fear spiked through him immediately, his pulse speeding. Without thinking he brushed her hair aside, reached out; he caught her cheek with one hand, turning her to look up at him. Their eyes locked for a moment before hers darted away.

“It’s alright!” she told him hurriedly, almost stumbling over the words. She shook her head furiously, sending her hair waving again, and again he pushed it aside, stopping her movement with the hand on her cheek.

“ _How_?” he asked, and if his voice sounded desperate, could he be blamed? She had met a _human_?! He had seen the worst of what they could do through his long, long years, both to his kin and to his world, and everything in it. He knew what they had done to _her_ family, and _she_ knew it too. _Why_ would she-

“I- it was an accident!” There was an edge of panic to her voice, to her eyes when she met his again, and she continued quickly. “At least- the first time. And the- the second time.”

‘ _The first time_ ,’ he echoed in his thoughts, shock and fear rushing through him, followed by ‘ _the **second** time_?’

“It was just- just one human! He was kind to me! He scared me at first, but then he apologized! And he wanted to see me again!” Her panic was fading, visibly, and in its place, there was excitement sneaking into her expression, into her voice. Her eyes lit like they had when she’d been laughing with her father that morning. Like they did sometimes when Leviathan could make her smile and laugh. They lit up with her excitement for a _human_ , one she had met not once, or twice, but even more than that. “He told me stories from his village, and old tales too, ones father had never shared before! He made it all sound so- so-”

“ _Dangerous_ ,” he reminded her sharply, cutting her off. Something dark was stabbing at his thoughts, at his heart, at seeing her like this. Did she understand how dangerous it was for her to be seeing a _human_? That that was why he was so worried, why his chest felt so tight suddenly, a pain in his heart at the thought. “Humans hate creatures different to them! They murder our kind, claim that we’re monsters, and then kill us and call it self defense! If a human found out about--”

“I was careful,” she protested, and the look she turned on him was pleading. She lifted a hand to place over his on her cheek, holding his hand there; her other hand reached out, taking his other in hers to hold, and he realized with a start this his claws had come out. Biting his lip, he forced them away again as she continued. “After the first couple times I saw him, I was careful to keep track of time, to leave him before your magic had faded. I know better than to let a human see me when- when I’m like this.”

Her gaze pulled away again, a note of pain in her last few words, and he didn’t understand why. She was _beautiful_ as she was, more beautiful than any mermaid he had ever seen; the sight of her captured hearts amongst his kin, and they _loved_ her. Was she- was she somehow _ashamed_ of herself?

“I- I know what they are like,” she said softly. She bit her lip for a moment, as if searching for words while he struggled to understand what _she_ was struggling with. Then she told him, “Leviathan- _I’m_ human too. I- I can be here with you because of _you_. Because you gave me the greatest gift I could have _ever_ received. But I am still human.”

He was shaking his head before he even realized it, refusing her word outright.

“You’re _not_ ,” he insisted sharply, and he squeezed her free hand in his, keeping the hand on her cheek gentle. “You have the heart and soul of a mer, to match _any_ of my people. Whether you were born on land or not, whether your ability to breathe underwater is a gift or not, you _are_ a mer, _not_ a human.”

And she was _his_. Yes, sometimes he thought of her as his ‘human,’ but that meant nothing. If it meant that she would never see this human she’d met again, then he would _never_ let himself use such a word for her again.

“What about my father,” she asked, catching her lip between her teeth between words, biting nervously at it. “And- and my mother? They are- _were_ \- human too. Does that mean father is dangerous? That my mother was?”

He wanted to curse. A hiss escaped him despite his best efforts, but she didn’t pull away, or flinch. She squeezed his free hand just as he had hers moments ago. She tightened her hold on the hand that cupped her cheek, keeping it in place as best she could; he could have easily pulled away, had he wanted to, his strength far exceeding her own, but he could never…

“I will be careful,” she said when he didn’t answer, and the look she gave him… She was pleading silently, _willing_ him to understand with just a look. “I promise, Leviathan. But I think- that maybe not all humans are bad. I think he _isn’t_. I think… that he could be my friend.”

That look would be his undoing.

“Tell-,” he began, and broke off. He inhaled deeply, and gathered himself. He struggled against the fear and worry, against the darker feeling that he wished not to name, pushed them back and down as deeply as he could.

He wanted to tell her ‘no.’ He wanted to make her see how dangerous a path it would be to have a human ‘ _friend_.’ He wanted to tell her that no human could be a friend, not to a mer. He wanted to talk sense into her- he wanted to return her to the surface, convince her _father_ to talk sense into her.

Yet he knew- _knew_ \- that if he tried… She would give him that look. She would plead with him further to understand. Beg him. And he could deny her nothing, not ever.

“Tell me about him,” Leviathan said, and the smile she gave him was blinding. She began talking immediately, stumbling over her own words to tell him about her new ‘friend,’ about a human named Mammon who had caught her attention. A human she had forgone days with Leviathan to see instead. Slowly, as she continued, that dark feeling he refused to name began to slither through his chest, winding around his heart and strangling him steadily.


	5. Of Hatred

“She’s _using_ you, cousin.”

Leviathan turned away from the other mer, trying not to listen, trying not to let his deceitful words ruin what he had spent so many years building carefully. He knew Belphegor, knew that his hatred for humans ran deeper than most of their kin. His younger sister had been the adventurous type, and over a century ago, she had ventured too close to the surface; Belphegor’s entire family had paid the price for it. In reward for her daring, the young mermaid had been caught on a cruel human fisherman’s hook; their parents, when they tried to rescue her, had only ended up caught in the human’s traps themselves. Belphegor had lost his entire family in one fell swoop, and had hated humans ever since.

And Leviathan _knew_ what he was doing with that hatred. He wasn’t unaware of the nasty rumours Belphegor had tried to spread to their kin about his love over the years, wasn’t unaware of the malicious little pranks he had pulled on her. He was Leviathan’s cousin, though, of noble blood, and until he did something to actively hurt another- mer or human either- until the prince was given proof that he was actively _plotting_ to hurt another… Their relation, that noble blood, afforded him protection against even Leviathan.

“I won’t listen to you slander her,” he said, and it was hard to keep the hiss from his words. Belphegor was angry and bitter, full of hatred, and he was trying to take it out on the woman the prince loved; Leviathan couldn’t listen to him, couldn’t believe him. Yet he also couldn’t _ignore_ his cousin, not when somewhere, buried deep in the back of his thoughts, was a nagging worry.

His love had been late to their meetings more and more recently. He had gone to her house, only to find her missing, elsewhere, on days they had planned to spend together. Was she ignoring him, leaving him alone to spend time with the human she’d met instead? _Why_ would she ignore him in favor of a _human_? The humans of the island were only a danger to her, and he knew she preferred having company when she went into the ocean.

“It’s not slander if it’s true,” Belphegor spit out, an angry scowl twisting his lips sharply. The luminescent violet eyes that marked him as nobility were glowing in a show of his passion; it was a show of power that could not be faked or forced, could only come from deep, true emotion.

“If it’s true, as you say, do you have proof of it?” His words were a challenge as he turned to face his cousin properly. There was anger building within him, and he knew it showed by the way the waters around them began to glow, magic and power tingling over him- by the way the pressure of the water around them grew far heavier than it should have been at their depth. Belphegor’s assertions that the woman he loved was using him were feeding that horrible fear growing in the depths of his heart.

He couldn’t believe him. He _refused_ to believe him. She loved him, that was all there was to it. Unless Belphegor had some proof…

“She’s been seen with a human man,” his cousin said, and the nearness of his voice startled the prince; while he had been wrapped up in his fears and thoughts, Belphegor had come closer, close enough to reach, close enough that he was enveloped in Leviathan’s flickering power.

“ _I know_ ,” Leviathan ground out, and his hands balled into fists, his claws having come out with his power, digging into his own palms. “She told me about the human. He’s her-” he had to pause, gather himself to spit out the next word, the one he hated more than almost any other word, “ _friend_.”

He _hated_ that she was friends with a human. He didn’t hate them as Belphegor did, but neither did he trust them. Too many merfolk had been lost to the cruelty of humanity over the centuries, too many humans held no respect for the oceans and seas, plundered and abused them too willingly, _gleefully_. And he knew her past. He _knew_ what the humans had done to her family, knew how she had lost her mother to their brutality so long ago that she couldn’t even remember it. She knew it too, so why- _why_ \- was she consorting with a human? Why was she taking time away from _Leviathan_ to spend her time with a- a _soulless_ monstrosity of a human being? She was _better_ than that, and so was he, so _why would she_ -

“Cousin, be calm.” Belphegor’s hand found his shoulder, the end of his tail and his caudal fin brushing against the prince’s own, and Leviathan realized that the temperature around them had risen significantly, the pressure increased to a point that it was almost painful to _him_. The glow of his own magicks was almost blinding with the furor of his fears and emotions; it had to be painful for Belphegor to be so close to him, but the other merman remained, his hand tightening on his shoulder in a way that was almost… comforting.

Leviathan swallowed thickly, and forced his power down, forced his fear and anger and jealousy and envy away. He couldn’t afford to lose control, especially not here in his own home, in the center of their village where his magicks could do far too much damage if loosed. He was better than that. He had to be, with the power he wielded.

“I’ll find you proof,” Belphegor said as the power and magic surrounding them finally faded. His eyes were hard, still glowing with a luminescence of their own, with a hatred that would never fade. Too wrapped up in his own thoughts and fears, in trying to keep his magic from running rampant with his emotions, Leviathan didn’t see the little smirk on his cousin’s face as the other merman turned and left.

* * *

Belphegor couldn’t find any proof, and it _infuriated_ him. He’d done as much spying as he could himself, but what he could see of the humans was limited to what could be seen from the waters; the village was far enough inland that he couldn’t reach it even by following the rivers that ran through the island itself. He’d been forced to rely on the use of familiars, calling upon the waterfowl of the island, who had more maneuverability than he did; they had been the ones to provide the initial information he’d taken to his cousin, after all. He called for more this time though, going so far as to call in several gulls to serve him as well.

Yet not one of the familiars could find a single scrap of shred of proof that the girl was being untrue to his cousin, or that she was otherwise betraying their kin. She met with the human man every day that she didn’t spend with Leviathan, but to the undiscerning eye, she seemed nothing but innocent.

He didn’t believe it for a second.

She _would_ betray them, he knew, given enough time; humans were wicked creatures, beneath any creature of the water, beneath even the other creatures of the land. It was in their very nature to destroy, consume, betray all others, themselves included. Yet this _one_ human, this twisted landcrawler who bore the deceiving shape of a sirena, was wily enough to not show her true nature to anyone, not even the birds.

So be it. If he couldn’t find proof enough to condemn her- and he knew his cousin, no false proof would be enough to fool him- then he would simply have to take a different path. For the protection of their kin and kingdom, Belphegor would take things into his own hands.


	6. Of Betrayal

All it took was a few of the right words in the wrong ears. As tired as Belphegor was of watching Leviathan waste so much of his time and effort on a _human_ \- and the little brat _was_ human, no matter that she had been born with a sirena’s tail- he was more than happy to place those words. He followed Leviathan on one of his outings with the girl, waiting until after the traitorous thing had borrowed his cousin’s power and he had led her away, and then he took some of that power for himself.

It was a heady thing, to lay his hand first upon the shell Leviathan had channeled his magicks to form, and then upon the magic that waited within, to _feel_ his cousin’s power surge through his body. He shared blood with the prince, had been denied the power Leviathan so well enjoyed by such a small difference in the circumstances of their births, that to feel it now… the scales of his tail faded and fell away with a glimmering of the power that could have been his, fins evaporating into the dry air of land, bones and flesh both splitting until rather than a single tail, there were _legs_ upon which he could crawl up onto. Legs he could push beneath him, wiggling and unfamiliar toes digging into the damp sand as he rose to _stand_.

The human kept a store of her clothing here in the cave; Belphegor rifled through to find something that would work well to cover himself, then threw the rest of the clothing into the waters behind him without any care that it would wash away with the next tide; the human wouldn’t need any of them before long anyway. Once he was covered as much as the humans preferred, and he had fully found his feet steady, he made his way carefully out of the cave and through the forests towards the nearest village.

And then he began to whisper.

* * *

Mammon knew something was wrong the moment he came to the village square. There were people everywhere, far more than he normally saw in one place together; there were villagers of all ages and social statuses gathered, and the air around them was an angry buzzing swarm of mutterings and growls. They were all crowded together, a few huddled in smaller groups of two or three, every one of them hissing and murmuring sharply, looks on their faces that made something tighten in his chest. They looked- _angry_. _Frightened_ perhaps? They looked… ready to revolt or rebel- and he couldn’t think of a damn reason why.

What the hell was goin’ on?

His brows furrowed deeply, eyes narrowing, as he eyed the groupings, trying to figure out who would be his best bet to weasel some information out of. Before he could make up his mind, one of the jewelers he often bought from noticed his arrival; she came scurrying over a moment later, dark eyes pinned on him.

“Mammon!” Her tone was short, and he couldn’t tell if the look in her eyes was anger, worry, upset, or something else entirely. She reached him in record time, barely stopping just before him, and she had to crane her neck to look up and meet his eyes. “Have you heard yet? We’ve received news that a sirena has been seen hunting near the village!”

Mammon blinked. His eyes shifted from her to pan over the others gathered, taking in their hushed, tense voices and stiff, fearful expressions again. There were _this_ many people- a good chunk of the village, it looked like- crowded together like this and gettin’ all riled up… over a supposed _sirena_ sighting? Cause they were definitely riled up, getting more so each moment he looked at them, each one looking more upset the more he looked from person to person. Over a _**sirena**_ sighting?

“Malou,” he scoffed, and the strange, anxious tightening in his chest loosened again. “Sirena ain’t real, and you know it. Merfolk and creatures like that are just stories made up by suspicious old fishermen who were out on the water in the sun for way too long. Trust me, I’ve been out on and in the water plenty, and I ain’t never seen anything like that before.”

“Just because _you_ haven’t seen them,” she hissed back immediately, her voice lowering and her gaze darting about as if she were worried that someone would overhear him, which- fair, he was loud and he knew it, but it wasn’t like it was a big deal if someone did. Her eyes jerked back to him as she continued, “doesn’t mean they don’t exist! Especially now, when someone _has_ seen one!”

“Oh yeah?” he challenged, and leaning back from her, hands going to his hips, he asked, “an’ who exactly saw a mermaid _huntin’_ near the village? How’s that supposed to even work anyway? We’re far enough inland it ain’t like they can just swim over here.”

“Some of the merfolk can change their form,” the jeweler scoffed in return, and then shook her head before continuing. “It was a visiting merchant who saw the creature; he was on his way to the village to trade goods when he heard something coming up from the water. He said he hid in fear, and watched as a mermaid crawled her way onto shore and _shifted form_ to grow legs. He said she went, humming, in this direction, and he rushed to warn us!”

Mammon snorted and rolled his eyes. “So what? Some traveling trader just _happened_ ta be _right_ there at the _exact_ right moment to see a mermaid shape shift and go hunting?”

“He’s not the only one to have seen her!” It wasn’t Malou who spoke up this time, but rather an older man he recognized as one of the more superstitious sailors he knew of. Mammon suppressed the urge to roll his eyes again as the man continued. “It’s been the talk of fishers, sailors, and merchants alike for some time! The sirena’s been seen more ‘en once lately, an’ she’s been seen with a merman too.” The sailor paused, his gaze darkening, his voice lowering, as if imparting some ancient, important secret knowledge. “An’ the merman- he’s one that’s been seen around for longer than anyone here’s even been alive. The older hands told tales o’ ‘im when I first started going out onto the water; they warned that if ya didn’t respect the sea and all its creatures, he’d come an’ drag ya down ta the depths of the ocean, ne’er to be seen again.”

“Then why haven’t I heard anything about this, huh?” He let both his eyebrows arch eye as he stared down the old sailor. The man scoffed, much like Malou had earlier, and shook his head.

“Because you’ve been out o’ the village too much lately, boy. People’ve noticed, ya know, how much you’ve been gone. An’ not a soul knows where to.”

“I have my thoughts,” Malou spoke up, and for a moment she seemed almost amused. “With the things the _great_ Mammon’s bought from me lately, you’d almost think-”

And then she broke off. She froze, dark eyes widening, her skin going pale, and her gaze jerked suddenly up to meet his. Mammon and the old sailor weren’t the only ones to notice; when she spoke again, her voice suddenly terse, several others around them turned to listen.

“You’d almost think he’d met a _woman_.”

The tight feeling in Mammon’s chest returned suddenly, except its grip was sharper this time, like a vice crushing his heart and lungs. His thoughts flashed to Dyesebel, the mysterious, strange woman he’d fallen so deeply for from the first time he’d seen her. The woman he stole away to meet with on a regular basis, but whom he knew almost nothing about still. She kept everything about herself so close to the chest- where exactly she lived, what her father’s business was, what she did when they weren’t meeting together. She never spoke of her past, or of any family beyond her father, or of her life outside her current stay on the island.

What he _did_ know about her though… She was the sweetest girl he’d ever met, so kind and caring and gentle. She loved folktales, and she _loved_ the ocean, she thought it was the most beautiful thing in all the world. She loved swimming, although she wouldn’t let him take her near the beach, or even out of the forest where they’d first met and continued meeting. She was skittish and shy at first, it took her time to warm up to him every time they met, but once she did- once she did, she all but _glowed_ when she smiled. Her hand in his was a feeling that made his pulse race, and her skin was softer than any other’s- soft as silk and wonderfully warm any time they touched. _She_ was radiant, beautiful; just the sight of her sent him reeling, and-

“Me?” He huffed, breaking his own thoughts off abruptly. “Do I seem like a single woman kinda guy, Malou? Ya know me better than that! Like ya said, I’m _the_ Great Mammon! Ladies all over the islands love me, and ya know it; I gotta keep ‘em all happy, yeah? That’s how I keep ya in business!”

Malou’s gaze remained fixed on him, like that of a predator eying their prey. Mammon forced himself to remain casual, keeping everything about his body language open and easy and calm. Like his pulse wasn’t racing in his ears, like a part of his heart wasn’t pounding as if it would beat right out of his chest. The others around them watched him too, watching for her verdict.

Malou… nodded, finally. She pursed her lips, not looking entirely convinced, but also no longer looking like she thought he might well be a merman on the hunt himself. He very carefully didn’t let his relief show. Instead, dread building in the back of his mind, he asked,

“So, this sirena ya say people keep seein’?” And he turned his attention back to the sailor. “What’s she look like then? If she’s actually real, we outta know what ta watch out for, huh?”

All too happy to take up the tale again, the old man began to talk. And with every word he said, Mammon’s heart sank further and further into his chest, his pulse speeding more and more.

Dyesebel. He was describing _Dyesebel_.

* * *

Mammon _ran_. He ran like his life depended on it. No, that wasn’t right: he ran like _Dyesebel’s_ life depended on it, because he was more than certain that it _did_. The old sailor had perfectly described the woman Mammon loved while describing the sirena, down to the strange indigo striped tattoo on either side of her neck. _Gills_ , the man had called them, citing them as further proof that she was indeed a sirena on the hunt, her legs merely a product of mer-magic. He’d also known _exactly_ where to find the sirena, the sailor’d said, telling everyone gathered that he and the other sailors had been trying to track her down for years; the trader who had seen her transform had given them the last clue they needed, the old man said.

Then they’d begun to ready themselves, men taking up arms, women bustling about to gather anything they needed, and to fetch others as needed.

Mammon had wasted no time once they started. He may not have known where exactly Dyesebel lived, but he _did_ know the direction she came from everytime she appeared. Whether it was because she didn’t think to, or trusted him enough not to, she never bothered to hide it, and now he found himself thanking whatever gods might be listening that she hadn’t. He found himself _praying_ too; he’d never been the type to put much stock in deities, gods, or other supernatural creatures, but if it would help him save her, then he found himself willing to believe in anything that would help.

He pelted through the forest as quickly as he could move, paying no mind to anything in his path other than to bat it aside, or go around or over it if he could. The forest was thick, where they usually met, but soon enough, before he knew it, the trees began to thin, and the sound of the ocean met his ears. He was nearing the shore of the island, one which he’d never been to before. What felt like eons later, he burst out from the trees, and-

 _There_! Just barely in sight, far down along a sandy beach, sat a house. It was a humble looking and small, clearly an older building meant for only a few people, and it had the look of a well lived home. Everywhere he looked, from the small fishing boat on the water, the covered seating area on the beach, to the belongings scattered around the windows, just outside the house, were clear and obvious signs of its occupancy.

Mammon took off once more, heading straight for the little house as fast as he could move. A third of the way there- halfway there- two thirds-

And then the door opened when he was mere meters away, and the sight that greeted his eyes stopped him in his tracks.

A man stepped out from the house, and in his arms was- in his arms…

“ _Dyesebel!_ ”

Her name escaped his lips, sounding strangled as he stared. It _was_ , indeed, Dyesebel, but-

“ _Mammon_!”

Her eyes were wide, and there was shock and _fear_ written in them, the same kind of fear he remembered from their first meeting. The very first words she’d ever said to him rang through his head.

_‘Please don’t hurt me!’_

“M- Mammon, _how_?!” The same fear from then rang in her voice now. She was _clinging_ to the man who held her, arms and shoulders and face tense, and below her shirt- her _tail_ , a beautifully iridescent orange scaled length over half as long as he was tall, twitched sharply, glimmering fins waving back and forth with each movement.

The man who held her- her father, he thought?- was glaring at him harshly, his shoulders tense, his expression angry. His hands where he held Dyesebel were tender still, but it was crystal clear that if he could have set her down safely, he’d likely already have _Mammon_ in his grasp instead, and not in a good way. Mammon swallowed thickly, stepping back and raising both hands in peace, as the man spoke.

“Who are you and _why_ are you here?” If words could kill, Mammon knew he’d already be dead. Suppressing any fear he might have felt, he spoke quickly.

“I’m Dyesebel’s friend, we- we meet out in the forest sometimes. I came cause- you’re both in danger, an’ I needed ta warn ya.” He swallowed again, and then continued, putting as much sincerity into his voice as he could, looking to Dyesebel rather than the man. “I need ta warn _you_. There’re people who’re after ya, and they’re gettin’ ready come after you _right now_.”

“No one knows where we live,” the man growled back, and his eyes narrowed. Mammon could _see_ the muscles in his arms ripple as he had to consciously keep his grip on his daughter gentle. “No one should even know we’re here.”

‘ _Including **you**_ ,’ the man’s eyes said, although the words remained unspoken. Dyesebel’s grip on his neck visibly tightened, her dark eyes flicking back and forth between Mammon and her father, the fear in her countenance only increasing. Gods, how he wanted to wipe that look off her face, wanted to make it so that she would never have to wear it again.

There wasn’t time for that now. There was only time for action.

“Sailors have been seein’ a mermaid around lately,” Mammon said as explanation, and then paused. He licked his suddenly dry lips as he looked quickly from Dyesebel, to the waters that were oh so close, and then back. He added, stammering slightly, “And- they’ve seen a merman too.”

Her eyes widened again, the fear in them only increasing tenfold. She shuddered in her father’s arms, gasping softly, “ _Leviathan_ ,” before biting down into her own lip harshly, as if cutting herself off.

He didn’t want to think about what that meant. What it said that there _was_ a merman too, one she looked just as frightened for as he was worried for _her_. Mammon forced the thought aside, focusing on the current threat instead.

“They think Dyesebel’s a sirena on the hunt,” he explained hurriedly, cutting off the other man before he could speak again. “The sailors’ve been lookin’ for her for a while, they said. A trader saw her-” he cut off, his eyes drawn helplessly to her tail once more. She’d had _legs_ before, he _knew_ she had. Not even her long skirts could have hidden something like a tail, and he’d _seen_ her legs and feet before, when they sat and talked, or when she moved enough for her skirt to shift just enough.

Yet here she was now, tail fully on display where it draped over her father’s arms where he held her. If she’d had legs before, she didn’t _now_. What the hell did that even mean? He _refused_ to believe that she was some terrifying creature on the hunt for people to kill or take for herself. He _knew_ her, as well as he could for as long as they’d been meeting. He _knew_ she wasn’t a monster, whether she had a tail or legs either.

“They said a trader saw her change form, and helped ‘em figure out where to find her at,” he finished finally. Her father opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, there was the sound of water splashing, _loudly_ , from right at the edge of the beach. Three sets of eyes turned to look, and the sight that met them was- _unbelievable_.

“ _Get away from her, human_!” The words were a _roar_ , louder than any voice he had ever heard; the sound of it echoed down the beach, against the house, back to the distant treeline. Mammon found himself unable to look away from the being who’d cried out, his own eyes going wide with shock.

The sailors had called him a ‘merman,’ but he looked completely different than Dyesebel as he rose from the waters, from large, coral like horns that glowed brightly where water dropped from them, to _shining_ eyes of deep amber with slitted black pupils, to the dark, razor sharp claws that capped his fingers, to the dark indigo scales that fell down one side of his bare chest, eventually melding into a tail far longer than Dyesebel’s, even with most of it under the water still. The creature moved _fast_ , almost faster than Mammon’s eyes could follow, his tail coiling beneath him so he could _launch_ himself towards the house where the three of them stood; a _split second later_ he was between Mammon and Dyesebel and her father, his tail curled protectively around the latter two. The end of it he held up as if at the ready, as if he intended to attack Mammon with it.

Mammon threw himself back and to the side, _barely_ avoiding a strike from the creature’s tail; as he hit the ground and tumbled away quickly, eager to find his feet as fast as he could, Dyesebel screamed out,

“ _Leviathan, NO!_ ”

The merman- Leviathan?- froze, tail poised once more as if for another strike; his head turned unnaturally sharply, quickly, to look to where her father held her still. There was fear on her face still, but also courage, determination. She was _trembling_ , but she released her father’s neck with one hand, reaching out shakily towards the merman.

“Please, he’s not- Mammon’s not a threat. He would _never_ hurt me, no more than you would.” Her voice was trembling as much as she was, but her eyes were locked on the sea creature, unwavering. For a long moment, none of them moved.

Slowly… Leviathan reached out and took Dyesebel’s hand in his own claw tipped one. He laced his fingers with hers, the strange _paleness_ of his skin a stark contrast to hers; he squeezed her hand lightly, nodded shortly, then looked at Mammon.

“ _You’re_ Mammon,” he asked, and his tone was sharp, short, a thinly veiled layer of something almost like anger beneath. Mammon nodded in return, on his feet once more; he was tense, poised to run or dodge again if need be, unsure of whether the creature would heed Dyesebel’s words.

“I’m _the_ Great Mammon, if ya really wanna know,” he snarked back, packing as much confidence in his words as he could and putting on his best bright grin. Whoever or whatever Leviathan was, it was clear both that he was protecting Dyesebel, and that Dyesebel _trusted_ him; with what was coming soon, that was important.

The end of Leviathan’s tail lowered carefully, no longer pointing at Mammon, but instead settling on the ground; it twitched restlessly back and forth, an obvious sign that he still didn’t trust Mammon. His orange eyes narrowed, his gaze pinning Mammon in place, seeming to stare straight through him. Mammon tipped his chin up, refusing to give any ground to the merman, to show any fear. He wasn’t here to hurt Dyesebel, who Leviathan clearly cared for- maybe even as much as Mammon cared for her himself. That made them allies… of a sort.

“I didn’t,” Leviathan growled, and he released Dyesebel’s hand to turn fully back to Mammon. “I know the humans are planning on attacking here; how do I know you’re not here to start the attack?”

“He just warned us,” Dyesebel’s father spoke in answer, although he looked like he trusted Mammon about as much as the merman himself did. He was frowning deeply, eyebrows furrowed, worry on his face. He looked up at Leviathan, asking, “How did you know to come?”

The sound the rumbled out of the merman’s chest was inhuman and terrifying, a hiss louder than any snake Mammon had ever heard; it was low enough, _angry_ enough, that Mammon could _feel_ the way it rolled over him, and he instinctively took a step back.

“I caught the one responsible,” Leviathan told them, the words somewhere between both a growl _and_ a hiss. His eyes flashed, bright enough to light up the space between him and Mammon, and the human fought against the urge to take _another_ step back.

“The trader,” he found himself asking without meaning to. He didn’t want to anger this powerful sea creature if he didn’t have to, but if an innocent man was at his mercy, someone who had only been trying to warn the village of what he thought was a danger-

“No,” Leviathan answered sharply, and the wrath that flashed across his countenance was horrifying. “Not a human.” He paused, and something like dark pleasure flashed through his eyes. “The one responsible made the mistake of bragging of his deed, and word came to me because of it. He will be punished for his crime, more thoroughly than any human has ever been.”

Mammon decided, wisely he thought, that he neither needed nor _wanted_ to know.

“Look,” he spoke up, wanting to forget what he’d just heard, and forestall any wondering on the subject. “We don’t have long. I came as fast as I could, but the others were already getting ready to march before I left, and- and I had to do some searchin’ to find this place. They’re gonna be here any-”

“They’re here,” Dyesebel’s father said grimly, looking past Leviathan and Mammon both down the shore. Mammon turned to look, straining his eyes to see-

Lights were flickering, just barely within the range of his sight. Torches.

They were coming.

“Take her,” the other man said, and Mammon turned to see that he was facing the merman, stepping closer to him and _offering_ his daughter up.

“Father, _no_ ,” she protested immediately, and she reached for him, trying to hold onto him. Leviathan moved before she could get a grasp, and a split second later she was in his arms, the merman thrusting himself up on the coils of his tail so that she could no longer reach anyone else.

It was clear that her father had already made up his mind. Mammon made his decision then and there as well.

“Protect her,” he told the creature, looking up to meet his eyes. Dyesebel was fighting in Leviathan’s arms, trying to push away from him, escape his grasp; the merman’s hold was absolute, giving not a single bit to her flailing. He met Mammon’s gaze steadily.

“Of course,” he scoffed, but despite his tone, there was an understanding in his glowing amber eyes. Two men only just met, from two different words, of two different races, but one thing in common.

Leviathan turned and, without another word, he and Dyesebel were gone, disappearing down the beach and into the water. Mammon turned and looked at her father.

“You should run,” the older man said, his expression grim. “They won’t show you mercy even if you’re one of them. They’ve killed over my daughter before, and they will again tonight.”

Mammon turned again. He looked down the beach, watching as the flickering torches in the distance grew brighter. The people wielding them were his people, people he’d grown up with and lived beside, worked with and laughed with. Men he’d challenged in jest and game, women he’d flirted with and wooed over the years. They were coming to hunt down the woman he loved. She should be safe, with the merman, beneath the sea and out of their reach.

He shrugged. “If there’s even the slightest chance that they’ll be able to reach her or hurt her, even wherever she’s going now, then I ain’t running.”

And that was all there was to it.

**Author's Note:**

> sansinukob, I really hope you enjoyed this! I tried to research pre-colonial Phillipine life as much as a I could, and get as close as I could; I'd like to give credit to a particular tumblr that had a _lot_ of good information, [Pinoy Culture](https://pinoy-culture.tumblr.com/). If I erred anywhere, or have made any offensive mistakes, please let me know and I will do what I can to fix it!
> 
> As always, many thanks to my betas; my wife [Gyhl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gyhl) and m'darlin' [PhantomFox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomFox/pseuds/PhantomFox), who get to put up with me shoving stuff at them and praying that it's okay!
> 
> If you're on tumblr, you can find me at [PanickedPansexualPrincess](http://PanickedPansexualPrincess.tumblr.com).


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